The Rule's The Rule

Luke 7:12  “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.


The golden rule is possibly the most known saying in the world. It seems to pop up in almost any culture and even among those who claim no particular religion. I say claim, because disbelief is a belief, atheism is a religion and secularism is a religion, but they desire to be outside the freedom from religion statements and limit only our expression, but that's another day's discussion perhaps.

If I take this as I observe many people and their response to others I would have to conclude that if they were starving they would want to be left alone to starve, or if they were homeless they would want to be left alone to freeze under the stars. For most people this is applied to only the commandments they choose like don't steal from me and I won't steal from you, or don't murder me and I won't murder you. They covet and in fact collect what might save another's life and give it no thought, and the continue to desire to accumulate a disproportionate amount of the world's resources and give it no thought in light of the golden rule.

Let's reverse the view. The poor have nothing to steal so they say go ahead steal from and I'll steal from you, that's OK by the rule. They say go ahead and murder me, my life is nothing but sorrow and suffering anyway, and I'll feel free to murder you, that fits the rule doesn't it. I don't think that is what God wants for sure but you can see the issue. It is easy from the point of privilege to apply apply a rule as we see fit and to impose penalties on those who break through a legal system while the essence of the rule is neglected in our social order. We see how the Pharasees of old manipulated the law to their own advantage and neglected to poor. We need to be carful not to do the same.

I wish I had an answer as to how to accomplish a just society. I don't, but I will not give up trying to find a way that this Golden Rule will be golden for everyone.